Free
by kuristina
Summary: Sasuke loves to swim. And he had a habit: visiting his town's swimming club pool at night when no one was around. But one summer night as he's swimming, he meets a boy named Uzumaki Naruto. He watches & stares the pool, stands on the edge, circles around it, but he never gets in or even dips his legs or hands into it. Sasuke finds himself curious and drawn to the boy stuck on land.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** A little background on how I got the idea for this fic: the anime _Free!_

You know, the anime about hot swimming guys and how they like to swim and they form a (sexy) swimming team? I'm pretty sure that lots of people have heard about it by this point. I've had this one in the works for a while but just never got around to really working on it.

By the way, this is an angst fic. I hope you enjoy.

**DISCLAIMER:** never has Naruto belonged to me

* * *

It was dark outside and the only lights that were on were the streetlights and the natural light of the moon. There wasn't anyone to come inside the building for a while until the sun was going to come up and signal another work day for many people. It was completely quiet except for the splashing of water.

Uchiha Sasuke had not broken into per say but used his own means of getting into the building.

His clothes lay in a neat folded pile nearby the pools edge. And he was inside the pool in a pair of black swim trunks. He simply lay on his back on the surface of water while he stared at the ceiling. There was a bit of light from the moon that shone through the windows so he wasn't completely in the dark.

At the moment, everything was peaceful.

Sasuke was alone with his thoughts and he felt calm.

The only time he would ever feel calm was if he was alone in a pool. Whether he was swimming or just floating around where the water carried him, he always felt at peace when he was alone at the pool. No one was around to bother him.

He didn't have to worry about anything.

Taking a breath, he submerged himself in the water. He swam beneath the surface and just swam about the large pool. The pool he was in didn't have a shallow end. It was the pool used for practice or competitions for the competitive swimmers. The pool with the shallow end to deep end was actually outside, not that far from the building he was in; it was mainly used by the community while the pool he was in was used for the club.

He himself used to be a competitive swimmer but he stopped around the age of fourteen.

He'd be turning seventeen in just a few short weeks.

Despite having not been in competitive swimming for four years, that didn't mean that he was rusty. On the contrary he felt better than ever. Sasuke was always training and timing himself and making sure he didn't get too lazy. He improved his own techniques for swimming faster without the use of coaches. He didn't exactly plan on doing the sport again. Now he only swam because it was just for his own pure joy.

Once he turned eighteen and graduated from high school he would be off in some university studying business and economics to help his father and brother in the family business. Most likely he would work inside an office wearing a suit and not be swimming as often.

In all honestly it didn't bother him that he was planned to do that since he was born. He's an Uchiha after all; they are bred to be well mannered geniuses. He had no arguments and to be brutally honest, he didn't have any other interests other than swimming but he viewed the activity as more of a hobby.

Besides… business, math, political sciences, and economics were all a breeze for him.

He would graduate in no time and be driving a fancy a car and enter the family business in a well-tailored suit to begin his work day.

Swimming to the bottom of the pool, he briefly touched the bottom and stayed there.

Sasuke was testing how much longer he could hold his breath. It wasn't necessarily important to him to be able to do such a thing; in competitive swimming you were trained to come up for breath in between strokes. But he just liked testing himself to do such a thing when he was bored.

He counted to about ninety three seconds. There wasn't any strain in his lungs yet. Holding his breath for the first two or three minutes wasn't a big problem. He had read about people holding their breath for nineteen minutes in some world book record but he wouldn't train himself to do such a thing. It didn't seem necessary but he did note that it was impressive.

Briefly Sasuke glanced up and saw a dark figure standing by the edge of the pool.

_Shit, I'm caught._

He swam to the top and broke the calm surface. He already had an explanation in his mind to recite but he looked up to see someone he didn't recognize. It wasn't the staff for the building or a police officer.

It was another boy and he guessed the guy was around his age.

The lighting that he was looking up at the stranger wasn't very good so he couldn't get a good look at him.

The figure bent down and stuck a hand out, offering to help pull him out. "Should you be here swimming here in the middle of the night?" the guy asked with a slight chuckle behind his voice.

Sasuke said nothing but took the hand. He must have been stronger than the other person because when he grasped the hand and tried to pull himself up, the other tilted towards him slightly. The person used their second hand for a stronger grip and he was successfully pulled up.

He shook some water off his head before taking a good look at the person before him.

Now that he could see him in a better light, Sasuke could correctly guess that the person before him was at least his age. Maybe a year younger. But he would also guess maybe a few months younger. The person was someone that he hadn't seen before so he assumed that he was new to the town.

The person in front of him was just a few inches shorter than him, he had spiky blonde hair, blue eyes and he could make out three lines on his cheeks. And his complexion looked tan as well. Whether it was from being out in the sun or just the natural skin tone of the guy, Sasuke couldn't tell. He dressed in plain cargo shorts and a shirt that had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

But looking at him confirmed that he didn't know the blonde.

He had no idea who he was.

"You didn't answer my question. Should you be here swimming at this time?" the blonde asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Sasuke walked past him, crossing to the other side of the pool to get to his clothes. He heard the blonde follow behind him, probably still waiting for an answer.

He pulled the waistband of his swimsuit down his legs and let it drop on the ground. He didn't want to wear wet shorts underneath his dry clothes. A little indecent with a presence behind him but he didn't feel any harm in it. Briefly he glanced back at the person behind him.

The blonde had his head turned to the side, his eyes staring at the pool.

He couldn't tell but Sasuke thought he saw a hint of… longing in those blue eyes.

Turning his head forward he began to put his clothes back on. Once he was fully dressed he picked up his swim shorts and started to wring the water out of it. The blonde was still there in his spot.

Deciding to answer he simply said, "I'm not but I like to."

From the side he saw the guy nod and glanced back at the pool. "You like swimming?"

"Yes."

There was silence as Sasuke continued to wring out the water from his shorts. Just a few more and then he would be on his way home. His parents and brother would never guess that he snuck out in the summers to go to the pool to swim. It would probably be easier if he just asked his father to build a pool for him but that meant possibly sharing night swims with his family and he didn't want that.

Deeming his shorts dry enough, he whipped them over his shoulder and turned to the blonde. "All yours now." He said as he gestured to the pool.

Instead the blonde shook his head and gave him a smile. "Nah, I don't feel like it anymore."

Sasuke said nothing and turned his back to head out of the building.

The blonde followed behind him.

A few hallways and an exit door later, they both stood in the warm night at the front of the pool building. There was complete silence between them.

"Well," the blonde pointed to his left, "I'm going this way. Maybe next time we see each other we can exchange names."

Once again, Sasuke turned his back and headed the opposite direction.

* * *

His first sight when he woke up was seeing the ceiling. Sasuke blinked several times to adjust to the light of the morning. Slowly he sat up and scratched the back of his head.

Last night when he got home he just immediately crashed on the bed. He looked down and saw that he didn't even bother to change into pajamas. And he didn't bother to shower off the smell of chlorine anyway.

Sasuke made his way to his private bathroom, moving slowly at his own pace. He wasn't exactly tired but there was no reason to rush either. It was summer and he had no school to attend.

He stripped slowly as he walked. In slow fluid motions his clothes were off in a matter of seconds and he was running the water in his bath. When he filled the tub with warm water he stepped into the porcelain tub and sunk into it.

At the moment he would rather be lounging in a pool so that he could swim around.

Taking a breath his submerged his entire body into the water.

He remembered the first time he had stepped into a pool. He was hanging onto his mother but then she ushered him to try swimming towards his father. He remembered how Itachi had helped him stay afloat to get his father.

He thought of when he first went into a pool by himself. He remembered that the first attempt had ended with him almost drowning. Luckily his older brother was nearby to watch him. He had pulled him from the pool and rubbed his back as Sasuke coughed up water.

After that happening he didn't approach any pool for a while. But he still felt compelled to swim.

Sasuke opened his eyes and came back up for air. He reached for the shampoo bottle and began to work it into his hair. If he stayed in the bath too long one of his family members would come barging in and begin asking him what's taking so long to attend breakfast together.

He finished the rest of his bathing routine and rinsed off.

On his way to his dresser he picked up his laundry and threw it in the laundry basket. He picked out his outfit for the day and walked down the stairs.

Surprisingly though he found no one at the table.

_Great, I could have spent more time in the water… I mean tub. To wash myself better instead of hurrying to a breakfast that wasn't happening._

He walked into the kitchen to grab something to eat. On the magnetic whiteboard on the fridge there was a message written to him. It was an apology for being absent when he arrived to the table and that his family had to go to an early meeting.

What was there to do?

Stay at home, read a book, watch tv, look over colleges to go to, fill up the tub and sit in the water?

Okay, that last one did seem tempting. But Sasuke knew that spending too much time in the water wasn't exactly a… healthy habit. If he was meant to always be in the water then he would have been born as a fish or those mermaid/merman creatures.

But he wasn't a fish or a mermaid/merman.

Sasuke was a teenage boy with normal bodily functions and his hobbies included that he liked to swim a lot.

"I suppose there's… nothing wrong with a walk around the town." He muttered to himself. Though he said it as if he was forcing himself to do it.

Like always in the summer he had to put on sunscreen before he went out into the sun. It was something that his mother had reinforced in him when he got sunburnt once as kid. _That_ was hell for little four year old Sasuke.

Generally he avoided the sun by walking on shady sides of the roads or streets. But there was no way that he could avoid the sun completely.

He sighed as he walked out of the front door of his home. He put on a pair of sunglasses when the light hit his eyes. He could tell that today was going to particularly bright.

There was only one thing that Sasuke liked about summer. And it was that the temperatures were usually good for swimming. Konoha had its unbearably hot days sometimes but the majority of the time the weather was nice. He went to the swimming pool in the winters sometimes but with the air being cold and the water being cold, he wouldn't be able to put up with it.

He passed by the usual people and kids. And of course the girls would wave at him and try to get his attention. But he would continue to walk without acknowledging anyone in particular.

The sun was starting to give him a bit of a headache so he walked towards the park to find a shady spot to sit on. Preferably a secluded spot where no one could bother him.

Sasuke found a nice shady tree to sit under away from all the other citizens in the park. He leaned against the tree trunk and took off his sunglasses. He simply stared forward, not looking at anything in particular.

"You look relaxed."

He didn't bother looking up to see who was sitting beside him. He could recognize his voice from anywhere at any time.

"It's a surprise to see you out here Sasuke. I was expecting that you would be home inside your bathtub."

_Am I really that predictable?_ Sasuke thought as the boy sat next to him. "How are you Neji?" he asked, just to be polite. He would rather be alone with his thoughts but there was nothing wrong with having the company.

"Just fine, thank you. And how have you been doing? Visiting the pool lately?" Neji asked as he sat down next to the Uchiha.

"I'm fine. And I do."

"With others?"

"… No. Myself."

Neji hummed at the answer but made no further comment on it.

Both boys sat in a comfortable silence. They weren't particularly good friends but they were on pretty good grounds to just be around each other and be silent.

Sasuke thought briefly on the blonde boy that he had met at the pool. Then he glanced at Neji and wondered if his family already knew of him. They didn't often get new families moving into their town so if there was one, there was almost always immediate news of their arrival. And usually the Hyuugas or the Uchihas were the first to know of them.

"Did you hear of any new family moving here?" he asked. He hadn't heard anything so his companion might know something.

"Hm, actually yes. I heard of new people moving into a house down by where the Haruno's live." Neji answered after looking up in thought. "A small family had moved in their neighborhood."

Okay, so that confirmed that there were new people around. "Do you know if they have a kid or not? A guy maybe around our age? Do you know of their names?" he asked.

_He's blonde and has blue eyes and tan skin. Knows how to get into a building that was locked even though I made sure to lock the door to the pool…_

Neji looked up in thought and shook his head. "I've heard nothing like that so far. Did you see someone that you didn't recognize around the town?"

He nodded in response.

"Hm. I suppose that if you didn't recognize the new person in town then they must be with the couple that moved into that house nearby the Haruno's. A boy or girl?"

"Boy. Do you know of the parents?"

"Actually, from what my father had told me that the couple doesn't have a child of their own. But they are godparents. So perhaps the boy you saw was their godchild. Where did you happen to see him? Does he seem nice?" Neji asked as he adjusted his sitting position.

_I met him actually._ Was that Sasuke was going to say. But for some reason he just came out saying, "He just happened to be walking around the neighborhood. Probably getting to know where everything is. If he's nice… I have yet to confirm that."

Neji seemed satisfied with the answer. He pushed himself off the ground and smoothed down his shirt. "I see. Well, it was good talking to you Sasuke."

He nodded in return.

* * *

Later when everyone was asleep in the Uchiha household, Sasuke quietly slipped out of his bedroom to take his trip to the pool. Yesterday when he was in the pool by himself he thought that he wouldn't go the next night. He liked to have his breaks and sleep in betwen those days. But after meeting the blonde boy, he was curious to see if he would meet him there again.

The night was warm and had a light breeze so it was pleasant to walk out into the night.

As per usual when entering the building for the swimming pool, Sasuke pulled out the key (that he copied) for the door and walked in after quietly shutting the door. He walked towards the double doors that led to the pool. But before he walked in, he peeked through the windows.

And there the blonde was, standing by the pool and staring down at the water. Was he thinking about swimming?

Sasuke pushed one of the doors open and walked in.

Immediately the noise brought the blonde's head up and he was looking at him. He flashed a smile at him and walked around the pool towards Sasuke.

As the blonde approached him began to strip. He just wanted to get into the pool and swim; he wasn't there to talk to the boy despite his curiosity about him.

In just a few quick seconds his shirt was on the floor and he reached for the hem of his pants.

The blonde stopped about two feet away and looked away.

Sasuke smirked but said nothing. His pants were off and underneath were just swimming shorts. And since he was immediately ready to be in the pool, he dived in.

He stayed underneath the surface of the water for a bit before coming up for air. He went towards the edge of the pool towards the boy who was crouching down to talk to him. The blonde thought he must have come to him for introductions because that's just what he did. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. What's your name?" he asked as he extended his hand out for a handshake.

Well, he did say that the next time they met that they would exchange names. He might as well honor it.

"Uchiha Sasuke." He simply answered. He kicked off from the wall and floated along the water on his back, shutting his eyes.

Footsteps circled the edge of the pool.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke asked. If the kid wasn't here to swim, then what the hell was he doing hanging around this area?

The blonde was silent for a few seconds before answering, "Well I suppose I could go to the park to hang out at night but this place seems less likely to have a serial killer attack me." He had a bit of a chuckle in his tone of voice. Then he asked the question he was questioned with, "Why are you here?"

"I like swimming."

"By yourself? Here at night?"

He didn't answer. He just continued to drift along on the water. He heard the blonde scoff but didn't push any further with his own questions.

Truthfully Sasuke was still curious as to why… Naruto was here. It had to be more than just wanting to go out at night. Here he was two nights in a row when there were plenty other places around to loiter. And seeing as the blonde wasn't swimming or at least wading in the pool, it had to be a different reason that he was hanging around here.

But he didn't want to seem too curious about the blonde so he kept the questions silent within himself.

"You're not going to swim?" he asked after a long silence. He opened one eye and saw Naruto standing at the edge of the pool again. The blonde shook his head. "Hanging around a swimming pool and you're not even going to swim…" he commented to himself.

To do such a thing, it was unheard of for someone like Sasuke. To be around a pool and _not_ swim in it?

There was no such thing like that in Sasuke's world.

Or maybe…

Sasuke swam up towards Naruto and looked up at him, to which the blonde kneeled down so that they could a better look at each other. "Were you planning to hog the pool to yourself before I got here?" he asked his tone a bit accusing.

Swimming alone in a pool was something _he_ liked to do. And if that was Naruto's plan to do before he got to the pool, then Sasuke was glad that he came just in time to _not_ share the pool.

Naruto just stared at the boy and tilted his head to the side in question. Then he rolled his eyes and stepped away from the pool. "You're weird Sasuke."

* * *

"Did you hear of the new family that moved in Sasuke?" Mikoto asked as she sat down at the dinner table. "I hear that it's a small little family with their own child."

"… Not much about them Mother." Sasuke answered politely. It wasn't a lie; he knew very little about them. Other than the new kid was instead the godchild to the couple instead of being the actual child to them. And that the child was actually around his age.

And he hung around a pool and didn't swim in it.

"I had actually heard a little bit about the man of the family," Fugaku answered, "apparently he's an author. Not a very famous author but he has had some publications. Though I am not sure if I have ever heard of his work before, he's keeping quiet about the titles he releases." He stopped to take a brief sip at his water. It was important to stay hydrated during the summer. "And the wife, she is actually a doctor."

Mikoto placed the napkin in her lap and added her own piece of information she heard. "From what I heard about her, she is a physician of some sort. Oh, I wonder if she plans to be staffed at the hospital here! I also heard that she is quite beautiful for her age too."

Fugaku took his wife's hand and kissed it. "Not as beautiful as my own wife."

Sasuke just leaned back in his seat and folded his arms. He just wanted to eat, pretend to go to sleep, and then sneak out.

The food was served and light dinner conversation was shared among the family. Just the general discussion of how their day went by, any sort of gossip or local information to share, and whatnot. It was all very typical, predictable, and stale.

Comfortable but stagnant in Sasuke's world.

"I have actually seen the son of the new family." Itachi commented. "It was easy to spot him, seeing as I have never run into him before. "He looks quiet."

"Oh I'm sure he is just a bit shy to be in a new town is all." Mikoto voiced in. She tucked some hair behind her ear and looked at her youngest son. "Oh Sasuke, maybe if you run into him you two could become friends!"

Sasuke nodded in absent acknowledgement of what his mother just said. If he met him at the pool tonight, then maybe he would get to know him a little better. He stood up from his seat and excused himself from the table. "I'm going to my room now."

"Alright then. Open your window a little for the night Sasuke, it will be warm in your room. If we keep blasting the air conditioning, the power is going to shut down like last year." Fugaku said.

He waited until around eleven to sneak out. He had his swimsuit ready underneath his clothes and he was ready to dive into the water.

And just like the last few times, Naruto stood at the edge of the pool just staring at the surface.

Naruto looked up and smiled at Sasuke. He approached him but this time didn't stop when Sasuke began to strip off his clothes. "You really like coming here huh?" he asked as the Uchiha dove into the pool.

Sasuke heard his question clear but he was itching to get into the water. But when he reached the top for air he answered, "I could say the same for you."

And it might have been his imagination, but he could swear he saw some sort of emotion pass through those blue eyes. He couldn't pinpoint what they were though. All he knew was that whatever the blonde just felt, it was accompanied by a bit of lip biting.

_Hm… a little enticing._

Sasuke began to float on his back, just staring up at the ceiling. The quiet inside the building was just so peaceful for him. And though he was enjoying it, he was still curious about Naruto. The guy didn't swim but yet he was coming to the pool building at night.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"Just seems nice here."

He snorted and swam towards the edge of the pool where the blonde was at. He floated in his spot and asked him again, "Why are you here?"

"Seems like a nice place to hang out." Naruto answered, though there was something pained in his voice.

"You're not answering my question honestly." He stated.

Sasuke felt like Naruto was hiding something. He could sense it somehow.

"I _am_ answering honestly. This place just seems-"

He cut him off and told him to answer honestly, this time with a more firm voice. "Why are you here?" he asked. Not just here in the town or at this place. Why was here in this building and at this pool?

_Why here?_

The question made Naruto press his lips into a line. He squat down to get a better look at Sasuke's face and with a straight face he answered, "I thought I could be free here."

* * *

**A/N:** Yeah, I know I said I had a new story coming but this actually isn't it. Like I said in the beginning a/n, this one has been in the works for a while. The _other_ new story is in the works still & I've still got some construction to do with it.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER:** never has Naruto belonged to me

* * *

Free…

The word rung out in Sasuke's mind.

A four letter word, one syllable, but could be interpreted in several ways.

Free… but free from what Sasuke wondered.

But looking up at Naruto's expression, he just moved without thinking.

He pushed himself up using the edge of the pool. Naruto stepped back when Sasuke came out of the water but felt his breathing stopped when he felt a hand cup his cheek and he felt his face flush when the thumb attached to that hand started trace one of his whisker marks. He wanted to push the hand away, but it was also comforting to have it there.

Sasuke felt himself entranced by that sad expression that crossed Naruto's face when he said that he came here to be free… whatever that meant. And he didn't know why he suddenly left the pool to touch the face of a boy he just met recently but doesn't know that well. Something inside him just compelled Sasuke to apparently do some sort of gesture. He didn't know why.

But what he did know was that Naruto was hiding something.

And if he guessed correctly, the blonde was hiding something painful.

After all why would someone make such a sad, pained expression if they weren't hiding something?

However Sasuke couldn't find it in himself to ask him what was wrong. And he was unsure of how to comfort someone. He was silent before finally saying, "What's with that pathetic expression on your face?"

Naruto sighed and pushed Sasuke's hand back to his side. "It's better not to get involved with me."

_Why?_

He started to walk towards the exit but Sasuke caught his arm.

And once again, the Uchiha had no idea why he was doing these actions without any thought. Did he want answers from the blonde? Probably yes. But he wasn't thinking things through like usual and just doing things spontaneously.

He should have just stayed in the damn pool.

Naruto looked back at Sasuke and pulled his arm away. But he made no move towards the exit yet. He wanted to see what the guy wanted first.

"Free… what do you mean by that?" Sasuke asked. "What do you mean when you said you came here to be free?"

There, that was the question he meant to say in the beginning.

_What do you want to be free from? Why did you choose this place to be free?_

Naruto gave him a sad smile and turned his back. "I probably won't be coming here anymore. You should get back to swimming; you're really good at it." He was avoiding the question.

"How do you know I'm good? All I do is just swim around and float on my back sometimes." Sasuke asked. "And all you do is just watch."

"You just look like you do really well at it. But I wouldn't know I guess." Naruto walked to the exit. He expected to hear Sasuke splash into the pool behind him but he heard nothing. And he said to himself in a whisper, "I've never swam a day in my life."

* * *

The memory of last night wouldn't stop playing in his head. He couldn't stop thinking about it and he desperately wanted to know what Naruto meant.

Sasuke leaned back in his tub and dropped his head back to rest against the edge. He lifted his hand, the one that reached out to touch Naruto's cheek, and watched the water from the bath trickle down his hand. He studied his thumb and remembered how it traced the whisker line on Naruto's cheek and how smooth and warm he felt.

It was so unlike him to be so fascinated with this one person.

Naruto was a mystery to him and he just wanted to know who he was.

For a moment, Sasuke felt brief empathy for the people who were curious about him. Now he knew what it was like to wonder about someone so badly and just want to know who they are. They just wanted a mystery solved but instead were left with questions and theories.

Who was Naruto and what was he doing at the pool? What did he mean when he said he wanted to be free? Was he really not going to return to the pool anymore after yesterday?

Abruptly the door to his bathroom opened and Sasuke jumped a little.

He was in such concentration he forgot that his mother was home too.

How long had he been in the tub?

Mikoto looked at her youngest son and briefly remembered how she used to bathe Sasuke in the tub. She wore a sundress and had her hair tied in a low ponytail. "Come now Sasuke, get out of the water and get dressed! We're going out!"

"You just barged in mother. That's rude."

"I knocked sweetheart. But if you weren't so busy dunking your head under the water you would have heard me. We're going out today!"

Sasuke sank back into the water and exhaled through his nose. Going out meant that they would be gone from the house for a while. Going out meant that the trip into the town today was going to be long. Going out meant that he couldn't hang around in a body of water so submerge himself into.

"Sasuke, you're pouting. I can tell." Mikoto clapped her hands picked up a dry towel from the shelf in the bathroom. "Come out and get dressed right now Sasuke! And make sure to wear sunblock okay? Do you need a hat when we go out?"

"Okay mother, just please leave so I can get ready."

Mikto obliged and left the towel nearby for Sasuke to grab.

He drained the tub and wrapped the towel around his waist. He grabbed a smaller towel to start drying hair as he listened to the water go down the drain. He took a glance at it as the last of the water inside the tub disappeared.

Just a few minutes later Sasuke met his mother at the front door. He wore a plain white t-shirt and dark jeans. He made sure his shoelaces were tied and that he had his phone and wallet. He made sure to put sunscreen on and he had his sunglasses ready for when they stepped outside into the morning sun. It was decently warm now but it would heat up later in the day.

He locked the front door and walked with his mother. She took a sun umbrella and made sure that he stayed underneath it with her as they walked.

_Great, a sun umbrella. That means no car._

This meant trying to avoid the sun as much as possible.

Mikoto went on talking about how they should take more walks together in the summer. She didn't like going out during the spring often because she had very bad allergies when pollen was in the air. But she loved summer air, summer days, and summer nights.

"Where are we walking to?" Sasuke asked after about fifteen minutes of walking. He thought that they were just going around the block but apparently that wasn't the case when Mikoto didn't turn the corner to go back to their house.

"We're going to see the Harunos!" Mikoto answered with a smile.

Sasuke had to hold back the sigh that almost came out of his mouth. If he had let that escape he would not hear the end of it from his mother.

_What I wouldn't give to just be back at home in the tub._

"Plus there is that new family that lives across from them. I think we should pay a visit to them too an introduce ourselves."

Upon hearing that he might see Naruto, he stopped walking.

He had forgotten of some of the gossip he heard of the new people in town and that they lived across from the Harunos.

Would Naruto be there?

How would he react to seeing Sasuke right there in front of his house?

"Sasuke! What's wrong? Are you nervous about seeing Haruno Sakura? She's very cute you know." Mikoto said as she waved a hand in front of her son's face. "Should I leave you two alone when we get there?"

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke stuffed his hands in his pockets and continued to walk alongside her. "I told you mother, I don't like her in that way. She's just a girl that I don't have any feelings for."

Mikoto pinched Sasuke's cheek and giggled. "Oh I know. You say that every time. I'm just checking to make sure. You can like anyone you want dear. And the day I see you going on a date instead of hanging around in the tub, oh well I just wouldn't know what to do. Hopefully whoever you do end up liking surpasses your love for water."

Sasuke felt his face grow hot a little. It wasn't exactly a secret in the family that Sasuke liked to spend time in the water for a long time. He just loved being in water simply because it was water. When he thought about it too much, it really just made him feel like a weirdo. Where the hell did he get the gene for that?

* * *

"Sakura is across the street meeting the neighbors. Why don't you go meet them Sasuke?" Sakura's mother ushered Sasuke to the front door, insisting that he would be bored with the adults.

Mikoto gave him a little wave and encouraging smile.

_Don't forget to be nice, I know._

On the other side of the street, Sasuke just stood at the front door for a moment. He stared at the wood and studied its details. He looked off to both sides to see some flowers that seemed to be planted recently. The grass looked like it was just mown recently as well.

He finally rang the doorbell.

It took several seconds but he could hear heavy footsteps approaching the door before it was pulled open.

Whatever image Sasuke thought he had of the new couple was dashed immediately.

A tall man with wild, white hair with a big grin on his face stood before him. And the woman behind him, blonde and beautiful and busty, looked at Sasuke with a slight suspicious look.

"What can I do for you kiddo?" the man asked, his voice so deep it almost made Sasuke jump. "You here to welcome us to the neighborhood?"

Sasuke composed himself quickly and rubbed at his arm. "No I uh… my mother will come by later to do that. But is uh… Sakura here?"

"Oh shit." The woman voiced. "You're not her boyfriend or something are you? Came to fight for your woman or something?"

Immediately Sasuke shook his head. "No, I was just told she was over here."

The man laughed and slapped Sasuke's back and pulled him inside. "She's just kidding! Go on and take off your shoes. I am Jiraiya and that is my wife Tsunade."

The woman, Tsunade, walked to the staircase nearby and shouted from where she was, "Hey brat! We got another kid here! Come meet him! He knows the girl!"

Sasuke was surprised to hear Naruto's voice from atop the stairs. "Just send him up here!"

He didn't think that the blonde guy he met at the pool was the shouting kind.

"Brat, get your ass down here and introduce yourself. It's the polite thing to do!"

"Can't you just send him up here?"

"If you don't get down here in the next-"

"Okay, _okay_! I'm coming!"

Footsteps moved down the stairs quickly and loudly.

And there Naruto appeared, his eyes widening in recognition of Sasuke in his home.

Cautiously the blonde came down the stairs and stood arm's length away from Sasuke. He bowed slightly and introduced himself as if they haven't met before, "Hi I'm Uzumaki Naruto. It's nice to meet you." He even gave him a big grin to top it off.

_Our 'first' time meeting huh?_

Sasuke returned the greeting and bowed as well. "Uchiha Sasuke."

The air between them was tense but Sasuke didn't dare show it. But Naruto looked much too stiff for someone who was supposed to be comfortable in his own home. His expression looked full of dread.

But for what?

_Did he think that we were never going to see each other again after he said he wasn't going to the pool anymore? What an idiot. We're bound to run into each other in this town._

"Naruto-kun? Who's there?"

A girl with pink hair appeared from atop the stairs and once she caught sight of Sasuke, she whisked herself downstairs. "Sasuke-kun! How nice to see you! You just met Naruto-kun right?"

Sasuke nodded in answer to Sakura but kept his eyes trained on Naruto.

"Hey, don't just stand there kid. Invite them upstairs!" Tsunade slapped Naruto's back, which brought him out of his state as he rubbed the spot he was hit on. "Don't give me that look. We have guests so entertain them."

Naruto pouted and turned towards the stairs. "Yeah, yeah… come on up and I'll show you my room." He muttered.

* * *

"What a nice cozy home you live in." Sasuke commented.

He had spent several hours in Naruto's room and Sakura had only left a few minutes ago. And he was relived from it. He needed to talk to Naruto alone and it was hard to do that when Sakura was around. Whatever what was going on between them needed to stay just between the two boys.

Naruto squat down near a box and cut it open with a knife.

"Yeah, it's nice." The blonde answered absently.

The flaps of the box opened and he started to unpack whatever was inside.

Sasuke looked around the room. It had yet to be decorated and personalized in any way. The only thing that really told that the room belonged to someone was the bed with the orange comforter. If anything, everything else was just boxes. But of course he couldn't judge yet; Naruto probably hadn't been in his house long enough to unpack everything yet. Or he was just one of those people that slowly unpacked everything at their own pace.

"Hey," Naruto called softly while still digging through the box.

"Hn."

"… Okay? Um… a lot of people don't know about me yet right? Like in this town. Has word gotten around yet?"

Leaning back against the headboard of the bed, Sasuke looked up in thought for a moment before answering. "People know of you. But as far as everyone knows, you're still the 'new kid' in this town. Not unless you've already personally introduced yourself to some people. Why do you ask? You want to make sure to make a good name for yourself?"

Naruto stopped packing for a moment and sat back on his heels. He looked up at the ceiling and sighed up at it. "No I just… want to keep a low profile is all. I don't know if I want to get to know people."

"Funny, you don't look the antisocial type. With Sakura here not too long ago, it told me a different story."

And it was true.

When Sakura was with him, Naruto was all smiles and jokes. He laughed and grinned and was being friendly. And if he was faking it, then Sasuke would say that the blonde was a damn good actor.

"I was just being friendly. And I'm not going to be rude to someone I just met, unlike you." He stopped to pause a little at his own joke but returned to being serious." I'm not antisocial, but things change. Things happen and things change. I just want to-" Naruto stopped midsentence and abruptly stood up. He smoothed down his jeans and walked towards the door. "I'm going to grab us something to drink."

But Sasuke was quick enough to grab Naruto by his wrist and stop him before he left the room. He didn't need to ask the question out loud; Naruto knew what he wanted.

_You want to what?_

Naruto shook his hand off and rubbed at his wrist a little.

Sasuke knew he didn't grab him too hard, just enough to stop him. So it might have been out of nervousness.

"Don't you remember what I said?" he asked without looking back at him.

"About what?" Sasuke thought for a few seconds before speaking. "About being free? I still don't know what that shit means dobe."

A small laugh came from Naruto but it was brief. Then he turned around to look at Sasuke and stopped rubbing at his wrists. "Teme… No… well, yeah kinda about that too. But no, the other thing I said." He waited for the other boy to remember but could see that it wasn't coming to him. "I mean about not getting involved with me. It's best that you don't get involved with me."

"But I still don't understand why. I still don't know what you mean about being free." Sasuke clenched his fist but then relaxed it. He wanted to keep calm and raise any type of ruckus. He just wanted answers but Naruto was holding onto them very tightly.

He felt Naruto's hand cup his cheek and the thumb rub against his skin gently. Almost in mirror to what he did the last time they were at the pool.

"You don't want to be around me, trust me."

And with that, Naruto withdrew his hand and moved on from the conversation. He looked back at Sasuke and asked him what he would like to drink.

* * *

He took a break from visiting the pool for a while. And he took a break from even sitting in the tub just to soak in the water.

It surprised Sasuke but he needed those few days away from the pool.

For now, he needed to think.

He needed to think about Naruto.

_Free…_

"_It's best that you don't get involved with me."_

"_You don't want to be around me, trust me."_

_Free._

"Fucking damn, what the hell does that mean dobe?" Sasuke said to himself. He leaned on his desk and ran his hands down his face. Naruto was being frustratingly cryptic and he desperately wanted to know about him. He had never been this fascinated (or obsessed) before with someone. And this all came from just some random encounter at the pool one summer night.

That kid… he came to the pool just to stare at it.

He never stripped down to get in the water or even dip a limb in there or something.

Naruto just _stood_ there staring at it.

But he had some sort of business with it apparently.

Sasuke closed his eyes and used his forearm to cover them. He imagined Naruto in his mind, standing at the pool and staring at it. Blue eyes reflecting back at the pool. He imagined tan hands reaching for the t-shirt the blonde was wearing and pulling it off. Sasuke could only imagine what the blonde's body looked like beneath his clothes.

Next Naruto reached for his shorts but his hands hesitated. Blue eyes looked up, asking him if it was okay. He nodded his head and watched the blonde undo the button and pulled his shorts down. It pooled around tan ankles and he stepped out of them.

Sasuke sat up in his bed and slapped himself across the face.

_What the fuck are you thinking about? Are you fantasizing some guy that you just met and don't know anything about? Don't do that and don't imagine him naked or swimming._

Swimming…

Maybe this was his withdrawal.

Yeah, he hasn't been in the pool for a while so now he's coming up with these weird images in his head.

"I need to swim."

And just like any other summer and night before, Sasuke waited until it was night time to sneak out and swim.

He reached the doors of the building and looked into it, making sure that there was no one. And he expected for it to be empty like usual, but Sasuke saw the water of the pool rippling. He pushed the door to let himself in and looked down into the pool before jumping into it.

Sasuke pulled Naruto up to the surface of the water, letting him lean against his body for support. The blonde was holding his knee and taking in breaths of air. He pulled the both of them to the nearby ladder of the pool. "Fucking idiot, what the hell were you doing?"

"I-I didn't know this pool was all one level. I never saw you stand in it so I thought…" Naruto explained, his voice drifting off. "I hit my knee when I dove in the pool. It hurt like hell!"

Sasuke climbed the ladder first before pulling Naruto up. He pushed away Naruto's hands to look at his knee. He pushed the shorts up mid-thigh, trying to ignore how much leg he was seeing, to look at the bruise. He let his thumbs brush over it a little before lightly pressing down. The blonde breathed in sharply but didn't say anything.

The bruise was purple but it wasn't too dark. So it would heal in a week, maybe even in a few days. He assured Naruto that it was fine.

He examined Naruto, taking notice that he was wearing regular clothes and not a swimsuit.

_So he finally got in the pool, but no swimsuit to swim in._

Naruto pet the bruise on his knee, a pout on his face. And his face was even a little red, as if he was embarrassed about something.

"… Finally took a dive in the pool, huh? Tried to do your own swimming lesson?"

Blue eyes looked up to glare at him. "Fuck you bastard."

"If you wanted the pool with the deep end, then the pool you want is outside. This one is used for the swimming club so it's all one level. Look dobe, I think you owe me an explanation as to why you were in that pool wearing all your clothes. You realize that creates drag right?"

But Naruto stood up quickly, held his knee a little when he did so, and went for the exit.

Sasuke called to him and started to follow. "Hey! Naruto!"

"Just leave me alone! I told you not to get involved with me!"

"And you said that you wouldn't be coming here anymore. And here you are."

Naruto stopped to take off his shoe and throw it at him. But Sasuke easily dodged it, picked it up and continued to follow him. He kept telling him to wait but got fed up and threw the shoe at the blonde's back.

The blonde stopped and only picked up his shoe. He continued to walk carrying that shoe.

Sasuke jogged up to him and grabbed his arm. He turned him around so that they could face each other. "I'm soaking wet and so are you. And if you think you're going to just leave like that, then you've got another thing coming. We're going to my house and wash up. You can sneak out in the morning to go back to your house but you are staying with me tonight, got it?"

Naruto looked down, staring at Sasuke's hand around his wrist.

"Okay."


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER:** Naruto never belonged to me

* * *

Sasuke had no clue why he was bringing Naruto back to his house. He just made an awkward situation for the both of them. He just said those words without thinking what might happen. In fact, he was doing a lot of things without thinking about it first.

_Why am I doing that so much these days?_

The only thing that he really knew was that they were both still a little wet from when they were in the pool.

He was pulling Naruto behind him to make sure that the blonde was following him.

Both of the boys were quiet on the way to the Uchiha household.

The lights were off inside the house when they arrived and Sasuke made sure that they enter the doorway quietly. He shut the door as quietly as he could and locked it. They tiptoed up the stairs and appeared at the door of Sasuke's room. And once they were inside, neither boy knew what to do.

Sasuke realized that there might be some water they might have on dripped on the floor inside. He never had to worry about that before but he wasn't doing things as he usually did lately because of the new kid. He rushed to his bathroom and grabbed a towel and a flashlight. "I'm going to go make sure that we didn't drip on the floors too much. Go ahead and dry up, take a shower if you want."

He left the blonde alone in his room to wipe down any water on the floor.

Luckily there wasn't much but he just wanted to be sure.

When he returned to his room, he found Naruto in the bathroom staring at the shower stall. "Not going to shower dobe? You're going to get cold if you wear your clothes as they are."

Naruto looked over his shoulder at Sasuke and faced him. "I uh… don't know how to work your shower. And I don't have a change of clothes and… I think I should just go home."

"Not until I get my answers." Sasuke stepped forward into the bathroom and turned on the shower, testing the water to make sure that the water wasn't too hot. He took a towel off of the shelf nearby and placed it within reaching distance of the shower. "Now shower now before you get sick."

"What about you jerk?"

Sasuke gestured to the tub, not bothering to give a verbal answer.

The both of them reached for their shirt but stopped when they saw each other.

Naruto's hands dropped and he turned around.

_Shit… how awkward am I just going to make things for us?_

"You can shower the first." Sasuke said quickly before walking out. He needed to find clothes for the blonde to wear. He dug through his drawers and pulled out a pair of sleeping pants and a plain gray t-shirt. He wondered if he should just wait for him to ask for them or to walk in and just leave them there. Either way, it would be weird for the both of them.

He peeked into the bathroom and saw that the Naruto had already stepped into the shower. And his back was to the door.

_Just in and then out._

Sasuke kept his gaze down to the floor and walked quickly to set his clothes down on the counter. He made a conscious effort to not look up at the showering blonde.

The towel that he used to wipe down the floors earlier, he used it for his own hair. It wouldn't be the first time he slept with chlorine in his hair without washing it out so it wasn't a big deal. He changed out of the clothes he dived in the pool in and switched to just a pair of sweats and a plain dark shirt. With the only light in the room being the moon from outside, he couldn't tell what color it was. But it's not like it mattered.

He laid on his back on his bed and folded his hands behind his head.

"He went into the pool… while he was alone." Sasuke muttered to himself. "Free, don't get involved with me… does that mean-"

"I'm finished."

Sasuke sat up and saw Naruto emerge from the bathroom with a small towel around his neck.

Naruto toweled his hair briefly and then looked around the room before looking at the Uchiha. "Thanks for the clothes. I guess mine will just dry overnight…" he said quietly and sat on the edge of the bed. "So… I guess I sleep on the floor. Do you have an extra futon?"

"There's plenty room up here. You can sleep with me."

The blonde was quiet for a moment before scooting back on the bed. He stopped when he was right by Sasuke's side and laid his head down on one of the pillows. Clearly by the look on his face he was uncomfortable. He was twiddling his thumbs and his eyes didn't stay on a certain point in the room. He was doing his best to not make eye contact with Sasuke.

Well, there was no use beating around the bush.

"What were you doing in the pool?"

"It's past my bedtime and I should be asleep."

"And I should be at the pool for a night swim right now but that didn't happen. What were you doing in the pool?"

Naruto pursed his lips for a brief moment before answering, "Nothing."

Sasuke made a 'tsk' sound and rolled his eyes. "From what I can tell, you bruised your knee getting into the pool. You probably got a running start and then jumped in. What I'm wanting to know is why."

Naruto's face was flushed red and he turned his head to look at Sasuke. "You smell like chlorine."

"That's what in a pool to prevent it from getting dirty."

"I accidentally swallowed a bit of it. Is that bad?"

"Well if you vomit later then I guess you'll know."

He turned his head back to look at the ceiling. He bit his lips before admitting out loud that he had never swam before and didn't know how.

Sasuke sat up and looked down at the blonde. He couldn't deny that Naruto looked cute with that embarrassed blush on his face. But he was more focused on the thought that the blonde had jumped into a pool not knowing how to swim. "So what? You thought you would just jump in and instinct would kick in? You were damn lucky that you jumped into the pool that was all one level instead of the one outside."

Naruto shook his head but quickly turned away from Sasuke. "I'm tired." He slipped himself underneath the covers and laid his head down. "Good night Sasuke."

He wanted to push more but… he felt like this was as far as he was going to get tonight.

But as he looked at Naruto's back, he felt an invisible tug. Sasuke couldn't help but scoot a little closer to the body next to him. They didn't touch but he felt comfortable feeling the heat of Naruto's body nearby.

And Naruto didn't have a complaint about it.

* * *

When he awoke in the morning, he already saw that Naruto was gone. Of course he predicted that when he brought him back to his home. But he looked down at his bathroom and shook his head. "The dobe took my clothes with him…"

Sasuke picked up Naruto's clothes that were still a little damp and decided to just dump them in the dryer.

But now he had a reason to go and see Naruto.

He showered instead of going into the tub and joined his family downstairs for breakfast. He took his seat at the table and greeted his family before giving thanks for his meal.

The table was relatively quiet. His father sipped at his coffee, Itachi picked at his eggs a little before consuming a bite, and Mikoto was enjoying her earl grey tea.

It was the routine happened the majority of the time in the morning.

"Sasuke, did you go out last night?" Fugaku asked.

Sasuke stopped chewing his food but swallowed so that he could answer his father. He wiped at his mouth a little before answering honestly. "Yes, I did." His father wouldn't suspect Itachi; his brother was a heavy sleeper and wouldn't wake up with ten alarm clocks ringing around him at midnight. "How did you know?"

"Your shoes were left out of place at the back door. Sasuke, if it was too warm in your room last night you could have just opened your window. You didn't have to go in the backyard to cool down." Fugaku said in a stern voice.

Relief washed over him. "Sorry father it's just that… I felt like opening the window wasn't enough."

"And you took a shower too Sasuke." Mikoto added in. "I woke up for a glass of water and heard your shower going."

Okay, he was getting nervous again. "Just… too hot last night. I slept under the covers last night so I guess that was my mistake."

"Just run a wash cloth under some cold water and pat yourself with it Sasuke. No need to shower in the middle of the night. God knows how much time you spend sitting in the water in your tub already." Fugaku joked. He knew how much his son liked water. He just thought it was a shame that his youngest didn't go back to swimming if he loved the water so damn much.

After breakfast, Sasuke later pulled out Naruto's clothes from the dryer and stuffed them into a bag.

He announced to his parents that he was going to out in the town.

"Are you wearing sunscreen?" his father asked.

"Yes."

"Alright, don't be under the sun too long."

"I know father."

Sasuke walked the route towards Naruto's home but was unsure what to say when he got there. Should he just drop off the clothes and leave? Or would he have to come inside the house and spend some time in the household?

In front of the house across from the Haruno's, he rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer.

He heard feet patter on the other side of the door and it swung open.

Naruto stood on the other side looking surprised to see him. And he was still wearing the borrowed clothes from last night.

Sasuke held up the plastic bag in front of him. "I put them in the dryer for you."

The blonde accepted the bag and looked inside it. "Oh thanks."

Silence between them…

"Can I get my clothes back?"

"You asking me to strip in front of you teme?"

"Seems fair, I've stripped in front of you before." Sasuke smirked and even gave him a wink.

Naruto's face flushed and he opened the door wide. He stepped aside, asking the Uchiha to come inside the house.

They walked up the stairs in silence to Naruto's room. The blonde quietly shut the door behind them and moved to his dresser. Wordlessly and without even a glance back at his guest, he stripped off Sasuke's loaned shirt and pants and threw them at him. And he quickly pulled out his own set of clothes and dressed himself in them.

Sasuke didn't want to stay that he was intensely watching Naruto as he quickly undressed but… he did want to say that he had a bit of a focus on the few seconds he saw the blonde's skin. As far as he could tell… no tan lines.

In return for his own clothes, Sasuke pulled out the clothes left behind at his house and folded them on top of the bed.

_So… now what?_

He looked around the room, not seeing much difference than from the last time he was around. Although it looked like Naruto was unpacked now. But right by the bed he noticed a photograph inside a drame.

Sasuke scooted himself closer to get a better look.

The people in the picture were a couple and so obviously Naruto's parents.

Naruto looked so much like the man in picture with the blonde hair and blue eyes. But he also got some soft features from his red-headed mother like the shape of his face, eyes, and nose.

"Your parents, where are they?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto sat on the bed and looked at the photo with him. "They're away."

"Away? Where'd they go?"

He laid back on the bed and looked at the ceiling. "Far away. They won't be back."

"They left you?" Sasuke was surprised.

Naruto didn't bother to answer that last question. But he did say more to himself than to Sasuke, "I wish I was with them. I wish they were here." He sat back up again and looked at Sasuke. "You know, my dad used to be a champion swimmer when he was in high school. And my mom grew up living nearby the beach so she swam a lot too."

Sasuke looked up at Naruto, wondering why he was telling him this but he didn't bother to ask why. The blonde was letting himself open up instead of being asked to.

"So they kinda got together because they both liked swimming a lot. And then they started dating, got married, and they had me. But it's ironic that my parents were swimmer and I can't even be comfortable in a body of water. I freak out and scream; they always had to come to my rescue."

_So he doesn't know how to swim._

Naruto looked over at him for a moment hung his head back. "My dad was a great swimmer and so was my mom. They're just naturally gifted in the water and they had a son that sinks like a rock in a pool when he tries to swim."

Sasuke sat next to him, making the bed dip with the added weight. "You visit the pool because you miss them?"

The blonde was silent before answering, "Something like that."

"Why'd they leave?"

Naruto pulled his knees to his chest and hugged them. "I can tell you that it wasn't because they wanted to."

And then Sasuke saw it.

A look in Naruto's eyes that he would remember for the rest of his life.

_I need answers._ He thought determinedly.

"So you came here with your godparents because your parents are gone?"

Naruto confirmed it.

"And your parents left but not of their own choice?"

He nodded.

"And you visit the pool to think about them."

He nodded again.

Sasuke was silent for a moment. "Meet me at the pool tonight."

Naruto looked up at him with a questioning expression. "Huh?"

"Meet at the pool tonight." Sasuke repeated. "Not the one indoors. The one outdoors."

"But don't you always go to the one indoors?"

"We're going to meet me at the pool outdoors at the swim club. Tonight."

* * *

Sasuke looked at the pool longingly. The water was just begging him to get beneath the surface and swim through it. But tonight wasn't going to be about that.

It was going to be about Naruto.

It was just about midnight when he finally showed up.

Naruto wore a jacket around his himself, probably feeling a little cold from the summer breeze. He walked towards the Uchiha and stopped in front of him just a few feet away. "Okay, I'm here. What did you make me come out here for?" he asked as he rubbed his arms, still not feeling quite warm enough.

"You may want to drop your jacket for this and take off your shoes." Sasuke said as pulled out his phone and took off his shoes, even taking off his socks. He watched Naruto fold the jacket and slip off his flip flops, setting them both aside. He held out his hand to the blonde.

However Naruto was hesitant to take it. He backed away when Sasuke reached forward.

But Sasuke took his wrist and made him follow behind.

"Hey what are you-"

The Uchiha said nothing and began to step into the water of the pool using the stairs. He felt Naruto pull behind him and although he felt bad for what he was about to do, this was the only thing he could think of.

_Sometimes driving people into a corner is what it takes._

Naruto was resisting so Sasuke gave a forceful tug and pulled Naruto against his body. The smaller body against him felt warm and he liked how it felt when he curled his arm around his waist. Naruto's arms came around him automatically and he enjoyed how nice it felt.

But now wasn't the time for that.

Sasuke walked backwards into the pool and Naruto couldn't help but have his feet follow along instead of being dragged.

They were in the shallow end of the pool, the water just a little underneath the blonde's shoulders. He began to shiver at how cold the water felt. "Wh-what are you doing?" he asked.

"That day at the pool when I saved you, what were you doing?" Sasuke asked in a firm voice.

"What? I wasn't doing anything, I just tripped in!"

Sasuke walked backwards, the water rising to Naruto's shoulders.

Naruto looked down at the water and felt himself start to panic a little. He had no idea what the hell the guy was doing. He heard Sasuke ask him the same question but he gave a different answer this time. "I just thought it would be fun, now I want to leave!"

Again, Sasuke walked backwards.

The tip of Naruto's toes just barely touched the bottom of the pool. "S-Stop it! Why are you doing this?"

The question was asked again.

"I don't fucking know! Let me go you son of a bitch!" Naruto tried to thrash around in the guy's arms but his grip was strong and keeping him in place.

He couldn't feel the bottom of the pool anymore and pool water kept on entering his nose. He blew it out and tried to shake himself off.

Sasuke's own toes were just barely grazing the bottom and he was doing his best to make sure that they didn't float away from their spot.

"Tell me what you were doing that day! Tell me what you were doing at the pool at all. What was all that talk about being free and not getting close to you? I want answers and I think you know what happens if you don't tell me the truth."

Naruto knew the threat was real but he kept his mouth shut.

But Sasuke moved backwards, even further towards the deep end and it was then that it finally broke him.

"I was trying to kill myself!"

Sasuke was frozen for a moment before bringing them both underwater. With one arm around Naruto he took him back to the shallow end of the pool and brought him back up for air. Both of their feet were planted on the bottom of the pool. Naruto coughed water and shook in his arms, probably from the cold and the crying he was doing right now. His arms were tight around the blonde as he picked him up and carried him out of the water. He set Naruto down on solid ground and put his jacket around him before wrapping his arms around the scared blonde again.

Naruto's head was tucked underneath Sasuke's chin. He clung to the wet fabric of Sasuke's shirt and held tight, feeling a little bit light headed. And even though the Uchiha was the one to scare him shitless, he couldn't help but find some sort of comfort in him as he tried to calm down. He knew he shouldn't have but he was the only person Naruto had talked to in the time he had moved into town. He was the only connection he really had in this town, even if they had met not too long ago.

Although he was scared from the short experience of being in the water, it made him flashback to something far worse.

"Why?" Sasuke whispered in a low voice.

Naruto looked up, knowing he couldn't avoid telling him the truth now.

* * *

**A/N:** … Yeah I update on the day Free's second season premieres (although a bit late into the night).


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